The Secret of Redemption
by greigvknkb
Summary: Arthur has returned from the depths of Avalon and Merlin is overjoyed, but he doesn't remember anything at all. Merlin will go to any lengths to bring back his memories, but things aren't all as they seem.


A/N: Thanks for reading! this is jjust a short one shot inspired by a joke my firnd made...it was very quick so sorry for any errors! i hope you enhoy!

The tears rolled gentley down Merlin's pale cheeks as he stared out at the sky stained bronze in the late summer sunset. The autumnal hues reflected and danced off of the Lake Avalon as Merlin looked across the water to the resting place of his long dead King. He sat on the green grassy verge of the lake, alone, as he had been for so long and thought back to his past life and happier times. In the hundreds of years since Arthur's death, he had travelled the world many times and seen spectactular things, but he was always alone, there was never anyone to share them with, and in the past twenty years the lake had been calling him again, drawing him back with the unshakeable feeling that it would be soon, that Arthur would come home to him, that his wait would be over.

Tomorrow would be the anniversary of the Kings death, and even after the passage of so many years, the hurt was still raw in Melrin's heart and so as he sat gazing across the lake of placid waters, he couldn't help the tears leving his eyes. A stone hit the ground next to him, landing with a soft "putt" on the grass, and behind him he heard the harsh cackle of teen laughter, mocking him ceaselessly, heedless of hi patiecne and misery.

"Smelly old man" On of them called but he ignored them.

"Oi! Grandad! Get a hair cut!" Shouted another, again Merlin did not look around. He knew that his long white hair and glowing beard were out of place in the modern times, but they had been a symbol of age and wisedom for so long during his life that he had kept them, and his old visage out of rememberance for his long years.

"Leave him alone, Randolph" called a teenage female voice. Merlin's motuh quirked in a ghost of a smile. She reminded him of Morgana. After all this time he still felt gutted at the thought of her memory, like his organs had been pulled out of his chest. He closed his eyes agains the on slaught of memories he had. A single ter slipped from his eyes and glistened in the dying sun light. Eventually they got bored and left him alone. He was use to their crual taunts.

He sat, still, staring sadly at the glimmering surface of the lake, tormented by thoughts of his past, and looking into the future saw only endless waiting until the suffering world around him decayed into nothing. The dark fell over he horizon casting the lake into a dark shadow of the night and Merlin sighed sadly into it. He pulled himself up onto his old feet and took the well worn path back to his sparse single bedroomed flat where he lived with a stray cat. He hadn't named it, he knew the cat was a passing visitor in his long and longly life, as were so many others. He made himself beans on toast for his dinner then went to bed. He fell asleep quickly, a skill he had perfected over many long years, and as he slept, he dreamed.

It was a misty day, cold for summer, and Merlin stood alone, like he was so often, at the lake's shore. From across the grey water, he saw a slight figure appear, walking on the lake through the early dawn mists.

"Hello, Merlin," called a long forgetten voice.

"Freya?" he asked the shrouded figure, her dress wafting gracefully above the glassy water, ripples dancing in the breeze. He smiled at her familiar face.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"It is time, Merlin. Tomorrow. Here. He will rise! Albion's time is near. Tomorrow. He will rise!" she therw back her head, and the lake raidiated a purple light that lit her pale skin into a ghostly hue. There was a ringing from around the lake, that grew in volume until it became deafening. Suddenly, there was silence, and Freya was gone from her space in the middle of the lake. Merling looked around, jumping when he noticed she now stood by him.

"Here. Tomorrow, Merlin. He will come back to you." Freya whisped softly, reaching her gentle hand towards his cheek, in his dream he was young again, the man Freya had known.

"Give him this but only if you have to" Freya said and in a blaze of glowing incandescence in her hands, a sword appears. It was Arthur's sowrd, excaliber! Merlin gasped and toughed the glistening blade reverly wth his hand. Suddenly he woke up.

Startled, Merlin sat up in bed, drenched in cold sweat, he gasped for air. He panted until he had his brath back. Only then did he notice that his beard and white hair had disappeared and his body was back to its youthful appearance that it had had when he had known Arthur, and Freya, in Camelot, in the past, and the shimmering shining brightness of Exclaber was grasped in his tremoring hand. Teas ran down his cheeks, uninvited guests in his solitary sorrows.

The sun had not yet creasted the distant horizon yet, but Merlin was a buzz with excitement he could not sleep. With his revitalised body he was full of erngey and bounded out of bed to get ready for this most big of days. Once he was dressed and fed he knelt before a large and ancient chest he used at a bedside table and moved the cat off it from where it had been sleeping. Gently he opened the lid and got a out a small wrapped bundle. He unwrapped the bundle and picked up his very old red scarf. He hadn't worn it in years because it was so old, and the colour reminded him of blood and death now. But Aruther was coming back and he needed to insure that he recognised him. He tied the neckercheif on and went out of his flat.

Het got to the lake very quickly almost running through the streets, everyone gave him weird looks because he was running, his feet pounding the black tarmac of the roads and pavements as he ran the familiar path to the lake: left, right, left again, another left, a shortcut through Old Famer McGrilless's field of cows, a leap over the fence, and through the woods that surround the fileds by the lake, moments later, Merlin arrived at his destination.

At first he didn't see anything and he felt sad, but then suddenly he was at the apex of the shore of the lake and the forest tree line there was a blue tent. As he watched the tent opened in the early morning mist and a blond haired head popped out. Merlin's heart was in his throat and he felt overwhelmed by the feelings that he felt. Tears ran down Merlin's cheeks, leaving salty water tracks that strung his cheeks in the early mornign. He watched disabled as the man went and sat on the bench - his bench, Merlin's bench - with coffee, a shaft of sunliht suddenly shining on his silken hairs.

He smile, smiled making his young face look yothful as hope blossomed through his heart like a warming soup which he had thought had hardened against such things.

He ran toward the tent.

As he ran he called out, emofional lightness of his feelings dancing through his veins.

"Arthur" he pelted wherethe blond figure rested.

"Arthur!" he called again enjoyment seeping into his tone: like a drop of ink defusing into tranquil water and transforming its tediousness into excellent colour.

The man hair was blonde, like flaxen, and shining on his head, his skin was tan and strong and his eyes glowed in the dak with life. As Merlin crashed towards him, the man turned and looked at the midnight-haird sourcer who was waving frantically as he called out and ran towards the other man, who sat shocked on the bench, by his cornflowe tent, by the smooth lake. The man was shockd. He gasped at merlin.

He was wearing a jet black fleece benead his golden hair with no hood on over a pendragon-red t-shirt that looked slightly faded like it had been worn a lot. He had his sleeves of the fleece pulled down over his hand that were wraped around the coffee mug. The man was wearing blue jeans, dark blue, slightly brownish in colour, that hugged the legs and the curves of his muscles like a second skin of fabric. His feet were clad in hiking booots that wre also dark in colour and had striped laces laced all the way up. He looked just like Merlin rememend.

"Your back! Arhtur I've missed you so much!" he exclaimed, before noticing tha the ex-King Arthur was not returned his ardour. He paused in his hugging, and took a step back, realising Arthur as he did so. He mentally bereted himself- of course his king, who had died in the sixth century- was unaccostumed to hugs. He grinned sheeply and tried again by saying:

"its good to have you back." Merlin infused. Athur blinked his cyan eyes with eyelashes at him lowly. The yellow haired man's face did not break into the familirat grin that Merlin had missed so keenly over the past 1,564 years, six months, three weeks, 27 days, five hours, ten minutes and six seconds- all of which he had counted. Merlin took a step back in angst. Could it be that Arthur didn't remember him, his heart clutched in his chest.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are." The blonde man spoke eventually, slowly, as if confused or speaking to a skittish colt. He too took a step back, away from Merlin.

"I think you have me confused with someone else" He smiled, nervously at Merlin's insensity.

"No you're Arthur I'd know your dollap head anywhere even if it has been a while since last I saw you Arthur" Merlin insist.

"My name's James." Said James, clearly. Merlin laughed. Arthur's sense of humour had always ben strange it was just like him to make jokes at him, Merlin.. He patted Arthur on the shoulder and carried on regardless.

"Of coarse sire. How long have you been back?" he asked with the pious exitement of a puppy jumping up at its owner who has been gone awhile and has been missed, not knowing where he had gone or if he were ever be back, scared that it had been completely abandoned.

"Um…I've never been here before! I don't know you." Said the man in fornt of Merlin furrowing his brow in a frown- an expression so familiar to Merlin that it felt like coming home after a long journey. Merlin's grin in response to this familiarity was beautific.

And tears of shear wanderment slipped down his equine cheekbone. The man who insisted he was not Arthur seemed uncomfortable but also concerned as Merlin keept crying. He was a good man, as Mrlin had always known.

"…I'm going to need you to leave now. I'm er, sorry I'm not your, um, friend but you need to go." He said to the shadowy haired man slowly and a bit scaredly.

"Come back to my flat for breakfast!" Merlin revealed. There wa ssilence. it was awkward. Merlin could feel himself going tomatro red from blushing while Arthur looked more alarmed by the second, like Merlin was crazy or soething. Which he wasn'! He just didn't expect Arthur to be so...different.

"Er,no." said back the man who said that he was called James. He moved back to his campsite to start clearing up the breakfast things he had just eaten.

"Arthur, please!" Merlin pled, tears sitting flatly in his eyes.

"I'm calling th policy if you don't go away" Said the other man, pulling a small phone from his pocket for emphasius and wagging it in his hand. Merlin sighed, defeated and defleated. He turned from his King Arthu.

"I'll come back, you have to remember everyhing" He promised over his shoulder turning his head so he could see "James" (Arthur) as he walked off

"Please don't!" said the blonde man to Merlin's retreating back and Merlin saw him roll his eyes. Hope blooked once more in his withered heart as he saw again that this was definnetly Aerthur, he just needed convincing.

Merlin trudged home-wards, heart sunken under crashing waves of defeat and disapointmnet in Arthur's attitude - but maybe he jusy couldn't remember or he had just assumed he was a modern man - ut not grieving for hope altogether. Clearly the magic in the Lake of Avalon was powerful- it had caused Arthur to lose all of his memories of their happy times together and with there friends in Camalot and give him false memories of a life here, in the twenty-first centuory. Merlin sighed as he walked up the stairs to his lonely empty (except fror the cat) flat. He guessed it was better this way, as much as he would have loved a teaful reunion with the blonde clotpole, this way the former king was speared the fear of a new world that had changed so much since his death, and the grief of knowing that everyong he had cared for was long dead, exppect Merlin who had waited all these years for him.

Merlin slumped down into a large soft armchar that he had had for 30 years and magiced a book of magic spells into his hands. It was selfish, but he needed Arthur to remember him. The though of the man's return was the only light in the darkness of his many years or isolation and lonliness and he could not bare for that light to be extinguished after all this time.

He whipped a tear from his cheek as he looned at the heavy tome that now sat in his lap. The cat sat next to him, on the arm of the scruffy armchair, mewling in sympathy- or for attention- Merlin had never quite worked out hoew the cat worked. 6 Hours passed by and the pile of discarded books at the base of Merlin's chair built up. He sighed runing his hand through his scruffled hair for the thousandenth time. He knew he had seen a spell to restore someones memory back to where it had been before somewhere in one of these book before, he just couldot recall where. He grinned grimly at the inhumantinty of it all as he stared out of his tinny window through the murky twilight of the late summer night.

His eyes were dry with excessive looking and stung and, as the day snuck away from him he considered giving up for the night. Pulinng himself from his seat he arced his back, strenching out his old bones that were newly far younger than they had been a great many years. He felt everyone of his years. Sighing again he gave the book he held a frustrated magical flick of his wrist. It flew acrocs the room, startled the cat, and landing open at a page. Merlin sighed another sigh. He knew what was coming after all his experience. Getting up from the chair finally he patted towards the book.

"Of-ruddy-course. Never mind the hours of research! Stupid magic." He tuttered under his breth. He picked up th book heavily and read the incriptionhe had too say. There were some ingredient too. Fortunelty he had everything he needed in his house, which was good. He gathere the ingrediance, put them all in his kitchen, and started working on the potion he needed, mixing the ingrediaent together in a bowl including: hensbane, beetle clamps, black pepper, heelebore dust, newt gizzards, a flies whisker and ferniferous liquesce.

He put the bowl of the liquid over his head and chanted:

"Fac Arthur Pendrakono memorisse omne." His eyes glowed and the bowl glowed as well. It glowed gold as he chanted and then faded. He looked at the bowel and the potion had turned orange. He sniffed it and pulled a face, glad it was not for his drinking. This would do the trick. He put it in the fridge overnight so he could use it tomorrow. This would fix everyhing. He went tot bed excited for what the next dayw ould bring, curlying up with the cat on his mattress and planning how he would get the magic to work.

The next day Merlin woke up and got ready. It was weird haing such a young body again, he was so used to waking up with aches and pains of being old, he enjoyed the limber movements of his limbs. He put on his clothes, invcludig dark blue deans and a black soft tee shirt, he pulled on a jacket sna d tied a scarf around his neck. He took the bowl of ingredience out of the fridge and put them in a container. Hewas smiling to himself at tthis, so happy that Arthur would he back with it.

"I'm so happ!" Merlin told the cat who blinked at him with adoring eyes and rubbed agains his legs. He ruffed the cats hair And left his flat locking the door behind him with a spell, he had lost his keys almost immedialty after moving into the flat in the 1970's and his life was so longely he had never had a house-guest to question this excersize. He decided to go and get a coffee from hims favourite coffee shop first. In all his years the best thing that had ever been discovered by human kind was definitely coffee. it was like drinking ambrosius. He went into the shop and stopped short when his eyes set on the man he hankered for.

His hair shimmered in the golden rats of sunlight that danced through the windows, pale and silken, like glisening melted butter, it glimmered as Merlin basked in his orbit.

Merlin being a Brit, joined the small queue and formulated his plan of attack on Arthur, although he wasn't going to attack hi of course, taken unawares as he was by the sight of his sire in a kaghoúl drinking a sickly sweet looking mocha concocsion. Merlin ordered his coffee black and sugarless like he liked it, eyeing the other man in the reclaimed mirror as the machine whirred as it produced his dilecteble bevrage, and the barrister counted out his change.

Turned around, he walked back towards the small table where the king sat, hand wrapped idolly around the mug, other hand flicking his fingers through a slightly battered phone. Merlin sat down before the other man even looked up.

Arthur hadn't noticed him at all and he snekily snuck up and slid into a chair beside him at one of the tables that was there. Arthurlooked up the surprised look on his face quickly changing to a scowl as he registered the man berfore him, Merlin had a beaming grin on his face.

"Oh its you" Arthur said with a little moue on his handsomely chiselled face, his attention snagged by the scraping of the chair opposite that Merlin now sat in on the coffee shop floor.

"Hello!" Merlin chirruped and beamed. Eyes of hope glew in his face.

"Uh, are you following me?" He spoke. the blonde man frowned at Merlin accusatorialy.

"No I come here anyways" Merlin inferred. He got out his pot that the potion was in and put it on the table. in front of him but his king ignored it. That was good because Merlin didn't want to scare him while he still couldn't remember anything.

"Ok well I'm going now" the man took a final swig of coffee from his coffee cup and hastily stated to stand.

"You can't!" Merlin glunched in desperation, reaching across the table with an imploring hand and a desperate face.

"Exuse me?!" Artur rebutted in confusion. Even that well known scowl of unknowing, was a delight for Merlin to take a look at after so many years.

"Um I mean can we start again? Hi my name is Merlin I'm 26" Merlin said trying to remember how old he was as he spake.

"Hello Merlin, my name is Jame. Not Arthur. I am not your friend" said James, who saw as Merlin's happy face crumpled before him and hurredly rushed to correct his eror.

"I didn't mean like THAT i just mean i am not your friend who you seem to think that I am" backpeddled James, feeling guilty at hurting the clearly very lonely man that he was starting to feel pity for.

"Oh ok. Oh you have something on your forehead come here" Merlin said, and, brushing off his sadnes, like dust from a shelf, He reached towards the other man again, potion on his fingers, ready for smearing.

"What are you doing stop that" said the man who was not Arthur exclaimed and slapped Merlin's hand away from where it hoovered in front of his face.

"Humph come here I need to help you remeber" Merlin pouted and and batted Arthurs hands away to try and reach his forehead to spread the potion on his forehead to get the magic to help him remember all of his past so that they could take over Albion together.

"I told you I'm not him!" The kinbg shoute dout loud in the Cefa and stood up, everyone looked at him. Merlin tutted.

"Well if you say so" he shrugged and stood up as well, appearing to aquiess to the blonde man's denial. The man immediately relaxed from his shouting.

"Well good. I'm glad we clear tha-" he started, words broken foff as Merlin lunged across the space between them, reaching for his forehead with his potion-coated spindly fingers.

"STOP THAT. GET OFF ME YOU WEIRDO!" James shouted but the Merlin tackled him to the ground swiftly and booped alittle splodge of the potion on his forehead while he was distracted.

"Esxcuse me could you please leave!" The lady who owned the cafe was there shouting at them with a red face. Melin felt back for bothering her but hew was so happy he'd got his magi on Arthur he couldn't help grinning. The kindly grey woman who ran the coffee shop emegered from the back of the shop with a broom and an angry expression clounding her usually kind; grandmothery face.

"I'll have none of that rumpas here in my shop: Ambrewsia" she said, angrily, swiping slightly at the pair, rolling about on the floor with the brushy part of the broom.

"Shoo, shoo." She shooed them the door and the pair got up and stumbled out of the door.

"So sorry Mrs Butterthwaite! We'll go no" Merlin said as he stood up and collected his things. Arthur stood up as well grumbling and wiping his jeans that hugged his legs affectionately then wiped his hand across his forehead to remove Merlin's liquid. Merlin smirked though because the mgic had already worked. Merlin waited for Arthur to gather his things then followed him out of the door. He was very hopefuyl that his magi had worked and Arthur would start to remember now.

"So how are you feeling?" he asked Arthur, who glared at him.

"Um, like I just got assalted and kicked out of my favourite cafe?" he said in a sarcastic voice. Merlin just rolled his eyes effectively.

"No silly you do reember anything?" he asked hopefully.

"I merember telling you to leave me alone idiot!" snapped the blond man, turning to storm off down the street, away from Merling. Merlin followed. The man's pace was very fast, his legs fitter than Merlin's, and Merlin found himself needing to run, unable to stop a skip from slipping into his step, as he followed the other man who stomped down the steet.

"Arthur! You do remember me! I've missed your pet names so much" Merlin beamed liked a tractor bean, like that it ewas so bright Arthur might be caught in it's grip and not be able to go away, and he would be drawn to Merlin, over time and space and eternity by the force of his grinning smile.

James sighed deeply. He stopped his walking.

"Merlin. You seem like a nice man. But you are very wrong about who you think I am. My name is James. We, don't know each other. I need you to leave me alone." He said, using short words and small sentences so that Melrin could not be confused. Turning on his heel, he quickly walked away form the other haired man and towards his house, without looking back to the broken heated expression that sat on the warlock's faces at his King's harsh words. Merlin refused to be sad, the man, James's, regal air and stern authority smacked of noblesse, he had found his King. Turning away from the man's house he was resolved, he would need to resort to more extreme measures to get his king to remember him.

The next day Merlin woke up. He got out of bed and got dressed n his favourite cothes, including his old red neckercheif. Today was a big day and he want to go well: he remember the dreams he's had last night about Arthurs return and how vivid they were, he knew today his magic had had to had worked and Arthur would be back to Normal. He wrapped up hi gift to Arthur in a sheet of fabric and lef tthe house, scruffing the cat on it's cute little cat head as he he left. He wandered what his cat got up to when he went out and imagined to himself happly as he waled along to street to Arthur's house. It was early so no people were out and the birds were singng.

Murlin straightened up his cloths as he stood on the outside of Arthur's house, peering in and prerparing himself. His hart felt light and jumpy, like a joyful deer bouncing through a summer meadow and he could not help the smily that escape his lips. He sneaked up to the red door- Pendragen red- he notived with a happy thought, the world seeming right at last, and knicked a happy tune on the solid red door. There was no answer. Merlin gave a small moue of a frown on his face. He knocked again. Still noone answered. His feelings jolted in fear... Worried something had happened to his recalcitant king he hammered loudly on the door, calling Arhtur's name as he banged. As he was gathering his magic up to break down the door there was nose from inside the house. Merlin silenced himself quietly . Slowly the door cracked open, and the ruffle haired bloond head poked around it, sleepy still.

"It's half four on a Sunday. What do you want?" snapped the tired man from his doorway.

"Arhtu!" shouted Merlin in relief and joy. His face a wide grin. Arthur sighed a long sigh.

"It's James." Said Arthur.

"Yes thats your mortal neme" reply Merlin still smiling. The pair looked at each otter. Seconds ticked by, as Merlin stood and stared at the man in adorment, happy to bask in the warm comforting glow he got from his company.

"What do you want Merlin?" asked James with a grump voice full of sleep. Merlin became shock out of his dreamy looking.

"Oh, yes! I came here to get you back. You need to see." Merlin said with an imploring voice and face.

"No, Merlin. I need to go back to bed." Replied James. Merlin did not look happy, he pulled his expression into a brief grimace and paused in thought before remusing his action, mind decided and resolved set like concrete.

"I didn't want it to come to this" Merlin said and he took the cloth off the bundle he had brought.

"Please...no..." Arthur said startled suddenly out of his sleepiness by fear of death.. Merlin got Excaliber the sword out and held it out to Arthur so he could see the writing on the blade and the lovely gold inlays.

Merlin was so struck by the reverence and tthe equinity of the ocassion. The golden light that fell Of Aurthur and on the sword was so bright and glittering merlin was struck by his feelings, and his breath caught in his throught and tears prickled at his eyes. Arthur's eyes were wide and Merlin throught this must be it! He reconggnises his sword. Arthur took a placidating step back into his hall.

"Take anything you wants" he said in a calm and slow manner holding up his hands in a calming gesture. Merlin cokced his head in confusment.

"I just want you to understand. You've made me do this, prat." He said stepping forward into Arthur's house and closing the door behind him. He wanted to give the other man privacy for this passive moment. Arther's eye darted to the closing door and he swallowed hard as the lock clicked in the heavy red wooden door.

"I'm sorry. Just don't hurt me please!" He said to the man, Merlin, with the sword in his house. Arthur pulled a phone out of his pajama pocket, about to call the police to help him, hand shaking slightly but trying to appear steady. As he swung the sword to and fro towards the king, he knocked the small black phone to the ground where it cracked apart. Merlin made a slight face of regret.

"Oops! Good thing you don't need that anymore!" He shrugged and beaming fiercly before continuing to reassure the startled Athur.

"I've used this before. I know what I'm doing."

"I'm not THAT clumsy sire!" said Merlin in pretend offense. He swung the swoerd a little for emphasize the word 'that'.

"I've used this before. I know what I'm doing." He explained, hoping to subdue the other man's fears. Jams gulped. Audiabely.

"It's silly that it's come to this: but you've forced my hand." Merlin explained wisely, trying to hand Excalibur back to her rightious owner. James looked between Merlin and the sword and the door, he had to come up with a plan to get out of this fast! He made up his mind. He would go along with the strange man.

"Oh, Merlin! Thank you for bringing me my sword Excelsior!" he put a forced smilie on his worried and yet handsome faces. A big beaming smile broke out onto Merlin's sculpted face: he knew it!

"I'm so glad your back sire!" Merlin chocked out around his feelings that were threatening to choke him with their power that he could hold back after all this time. His Arthu! After days of being with hium but he didn't know it! it was overpoweringly strong, like a torrid of water bursting over floodgates in a summer storm that broke a drought that used to happen in Camlot, and his vision blurred and his knees felt weak with the sudden emotion which draining him. It had been so long...so long since he'd been with Arthur as friends, he'd missed him so much... it had been like living without a limb, without a lung...he took a deep breath of air and fell into a dead faint in front of his king,tears streaming down his reliefed face, and the last thing he heard was Arthur calling his name as the darkness came around him, a cruel darkness tearing him away from his reclaimed monarch...

"Merlin!"

"Merlin Merlin!" a voice called to him through the inky either of mint that surrounded Merlin's consiousness. Safe in his warmth Merlin recognised the voice. It was Athiur, calling to him with his voice, sounding worried. As Arthur sat on his hunches, Merlin began to awake, confused, as if he didn't know quite where he was, James felt a pang of relief as the blue-eyes man's eyes fluttered like a delicate moth, and then they opened, his big blue eyes blincking in his paper white face. Merlin noticed the blond man's relief and smiled coily.

"Sire" He said, eyes gleaming and smile on his face.

"Melrin" Arthur responsed gruffly. Merin sat up, he was at on the sofa. Arthur was next to him and he had put excaliber on the table nestled on a bed of fbric and glimmering in the thin light that shinned through the window.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked kindly.

"Yes but I want to talk about you! what do you remember do you remember the poeple? Do you rememeber what you did? Tell me" Merlin enthused excitebly bouncing in his seat like a hyper child.

"Er, well, I remember you." Arthur said looking like he was thinking hard to remembr.

"What else?" Merlin quried.

"I...remmeber my armour. I wore it a lot. And...I lived ina castle."

"Yes Camalot! What else" Merlin questioned agaimn.

"so, um, you were my...servant?" Arthur scrunched his nose up confused. He was adorable.

"yes" Merlin beamed brighty, mouth in a smile as bright as the summer sun on a sunny Midsummer's Day.

"Were we..." Arthur looked uncomfortable but Merlin was confused. In all his years he ha not learned tellekinesis. He couldnot read minds.

"Were we wat Arthur?" He asked.

"Um ,you know, together" Arthur asked and blushed. He looked away and figited with his hands.

"Oh! yes we were laways together i was your manservent you see you couldn't do anything without me! Sometimes i would joke that you needed me to feed you" Merlin grinned at the memory: arthur had been so useless at looking ayter myself, but he was so good at being king and leading. and anyways he always had merlin there to look after his needs.

"but were we...involved?" Merlin was very confused now he had no idea what Merlin meant. were they involved in Camelot? they did a lot of quests to defeat monsters ttrying to attack them so he thought they were involved. Of corse Authir was involved!

"We were involved in a lot of thins Camelot was under attack a lot. we had advetnures!" Mrerlin remebered these fondly. Arthur looked frustrated and waved his hands around like he was trying to make an answer appear like magic. Merlin wondered if he remembered he had magic but decided not to find out.

"I don't meant hat i mean did you sleep together?" Merlin wondered if Arthur really didn't remmeber anything at all, they always slept together on their quests and trips, or they would have frozen, probably to death, because they didn't share body warmnth. He was confused.

"Um, I stayed in your room some times? Mostly I lived with Gaus tho he was my mentor" Arthur was getting very frustrated. His face had gone bright red but Merlin wasn't sure if he was angry? Surely he had no reason to be? Merlin cocked his head to the side, bepuzzled. Arthur was annoyed: Merlin wasn' getting it.

"NO Merlin were we BOYFRIENDS" Arthur said at him in frustration, almost shouting. Merlin blinked and breathed in.

"Um..." Suddenyl Arthur's small black phone began to ring and he grbbed it off the table.

"Oh no! I'm late" He said and go up. Merlin sat up confused and frowned at him.

"For what? We need to make plans for you to unit Albian!" He asked and watched as Arthur run around the room putting things in a stopped what he was doing and look at him, bag in hand.

"I have to go to work Merlin" he said in a tone of voice as if it should be obvious. Merlin laughed though, and Arthur scowled.

"You don't have to go to work! Your the king!" Arthur rolled his eyes and paused.

"I know I'm the um, king but I can't just leave them. They need me." Arthur said, trying to look all regal. Merlin gasped

"Your people need you sire! Let's go" He stood up eagerly buzzing with energy.

"I can't stop you can I" he smiled rufully

"You've never been able to before" Merlin beaned at him and Arthur rolled his eyed affectionatively.

Arthur got his bag and beaconed Merlin out of the room, then they left the flat, shutting the pendragonbred door behind them and locking it tight. He walked down the road with Merlin walking behind him. Unbeknown to James he had brought with him the long sword Merlin had ought with him in it's scabbard, brown leather with golden accents in the shape of dragons and wolves and leafs. He was carrying it along holding it in the palms, face upright towards the sky with the Sword balanced inbetween them.

"Arthur you forgot your sword!" Merlin said, voice eager as he trotted happily along behind the king, as he had been mandated to do in the past in Camelot. Arthur sighed again, and Merlin watched the curve of his broad and strong shoulders as they slumped downhards. Arthur picked up his walking pace; Merlin trotted quicker.

"Arhtur Arthur, Arthur! You're sword. Heres Excaliber" said Merlin as he followed behind; knowing he was frustrating the other man, but he needed to get his attention. His king needed his swoerd. James stopped dead in his tracks and groaned. as Merlin did not leave him alone He paused in thought as Merlin stood bouncily next to him; vibrating in happy excitement. Jame groaned again and took off again in a different direction.

'I'll loose him in these woods, he are no match for me: James: an experience woodsmand' muttered Arthur under his breathe.

He stalked into the thick bushy undergrowth, weaving and zag-zagging his way passed gnarled oaks filled with squirrels that sat on their amused branches and watched the two men bicker their way through the woodland forest. Twigs crunched and crumbled under Arthur's sturdy business brouges as Merlin slipped and slid behind him, his battered trainers no match for the muddy forest floor. As the pair reached a clearing, Arhtur suddenly swirled around to face Merlin.

"Merlin. You need to leave me alone. I have ot get to work. I cannot take the swrod to my office or I will get fired." Arthur explained with rational tones in his voice. Merlin sighed dejectionally.

"Okay. I will wait for you at your house!" He said, turning to leaves with a knowing grin."

"Don't break into my house!" called Arhtur, so lost in shouting he didn't notice the inproaching peril until it was two late.

Into the clearing had silently creeped a fearsome beast. It's long catlike legs we masked in a dowdy fur, as smooth and sleek as it's giant claws looked deadly. The monster towered over the pair, eight feet heigh and terrible, it snarled loudly in the now silent forestland. The most of its body was long and serpentine, like a snake, and it moved like one as it padded silently, as though it slithered towards the two men. From its fanged mouth poked a forked tongue, which flickered lazily from its fanged mouth, either side of which sat pert whiskers. On its brow where a pair of pointed ears, layed back against its head as it lowered its body, ready to pounce. Arthur quailed in fear.

"Arthur! Your sword!" Merlin cried aloud and threw Arthur sword at him with the hilt. He fumbled and grabbed the hilt, narrowly missing himself with the blade which threatened to cut his hands.

"Merlin!" Chastised. Merlin waved his hands at the monster confusingly and Arthur frowned at him. Suddenly he was brought back to reality with a bumps as the monster turned it's little glowing eyes on him.

"Vos ignis!" Merlin shouted and shot a flaming ball out of his hand! Arthur dropped the sword in shock.

"Merlin! What was that!" He shouted in alarm. Merlin looked at him oddly.

"You forgot I'm magic?" He quizzed. He rolled across the ground as the monster attacked him

"What is that hting?" Arthur yelled.

"It's a Snat, a very ancient beast of magic. It's part cat and part snake - animal often used as familiars for the wizards of old." Merlin explained. Arthur looked panicked. He took some steps back from the sorcerer, hands held up like he was sheilding himself.

"Magic? Magic! Magic's not real." he shouted equivocally

"Yes it is, sire. How could you forget magic?" he asked him.

"This: this is you. None of this nonsense ever happen to me before I met you!" Janes gestured wilding pointing between the ferocous snat and the innocent warlock. As he spok, he retreated back towards a large tree, cornering himself.

"You leave me alone! I want no part of this!" he said hysterically as Meelin moved towards him. Merlin continued towards the other man who coward in fear in the clearing. He frowned slightly. Arthur had always been so brave and strong and this was so unlike the man he knew. Suddenly the Snat stepped between them.

"Arthur! You have a part in this even if you wish not! You are The Once And Future King, you can't give up your destiny to save Albian in it's greatest time of need! You need to fight! Where is the man who risked his life for me? who risked his life for my village? Who slaightered beasts that threatened Camelot's very existence because it was the right thing to do?"

"Here I am Merlin!" the voice came from above hi, Merlin turned away from the figure before him to look for it it. it was a very familiar voice, like a long buried memory...

He looked up and there glittering in he sunlight cresting through the trees was Arthur - his Arthur, his king - face muddied and Armour dented from living at the bottom of a lake for past 1,564 years, six months, three weeks, 30 days, 1 hours, twelve minutes and sixty-six seconds. Merlin' s heart skipped in ojy; tears collecting in his eyes.

Arthur, the real Arthur, the brave, strong King Merlin remembered, grapsed an errent vine that was hangingng from the tree he was on tightly and swung down from his branch into the clearing, threw himself heroically towards the snapping Snat, he swung he grabbed up Excalibur from where she lay on the muddy forest ground. He flew throught the air with the grave of a dancer and landed firmly on the back of the snarling montrous beast. With one great swipe he stabbed the Snat sure in the spine. The creature reared and screamed as it writhed whilst being slain. He stabbed it again until at last it was dead.

Aurthur did not paused for breath. Instead he leaped graciousally to the ground sasting Excalibur aside with flair he prowled towards the wizard whom had been watching hem and drawing Merlin into his arms, kissed him throughly on his gasping mouth with such passions that he diped Merlin back, feeling suddernly at home in his king's strong arms. As they kissed Merlin felt a small tear of relief leave his overwhelmed eyeglimmering with the love he felt for his true love now returned to him.

The pair broke apart, faces no longer touching, but Merlin still held tight in the blond man's grasp. Arthur spoke into Merlin's cerulean eyes, bring his gauntetled hand up to caress his missed cheek bones as he did so.

"Merlin where were you? I have been back for ages. I've had to forage berries and hunt, I couldn't find any boar to hunt tough: I've been living on squirrel meat" Arthur said to Merlin, feeling joyful in getting to say his name, as Merlin's heart soared in response at hearing that familiar manly voice. again

Merlin grinned sheepishly and sqirmed a little bit.

"I um, might have thought that guy was you?" He confessed with an embarressed gesture.

"Him?" quered Arthur.

"It's been a long time since I saw you! And he was camping by the lake! And being blond and and...muscular!" Melrin defended himself.

"He looks nothing like me!" indicated Arthur, offended.

"You're right, you have a far bigger dollop head!" Reported Merlin.

"Anyways I'm glad your back" her smiled at him feeling thr warm glow of their classic baner fill his heart and threaten to spill ove out of his eyes. He gazed in to Arthur's blue orbs and he gazed back with a penetrating gaze, both transfized by eachother.

"I can't wait to get you back to my flat." Merlin grinned saucily.

"Your flat what? I don't understand what that means, Merlin. Why are you dressed so strangely?" Replayed Arthur, lucking at Merlin's t-shirt. Merlin's grin only widening at the thought of all the catching up the pair had to do and all the new things he was going to get to show other man. He was lost in the warm bliss of Arthur's return.

"Um, if you guys are don I'll just. Go." James said coming out of his cower and pointing out of the woods. Both Arthur and Merlin wave a insouciant hand a him to go away, uncaring as they revelled in eachothers presence for the first time in milennia.

"Weirdos..." James muttered a he walked of shaking his blond head little, but th neither man cared. The had found eachother again and a new day had downed for Albian.


End file.
